Thursday, August 30, 2012

Sally Kohn in 3 Words

Here, first go read this.  Back?  Okay, let's get started.

1) Banal.

As an opinion writer, Sally Kohn should know that being boring is perhaps the worst sin one can commit.  Sometimes you can't help it, you're doing as much to impart information as you are expounding on an opinion, but you should avoid it whenever possible.

This article was worse than merely boring, however, it was predictable.  Indeed, the meme from the Left today seems to be that Paul Ryan is a Lying Liar who Lies.  Strangely enough, that's not just the meme from the media, but from the DNC, too.  I'm sure that's just coincidence, though.

2) Fantastical

In the meat of her article, Ms. Kohn calls out several "Facts" which she asserts.  She's absolutely wrong.  Let's look at them:

a) Debt Ceiling
Fact: While Ryan tried to pin the downgrade of the United States’ credit rating on spending under President Obama, the credit rating was actually downgraded because Republicans threatened not to raise the debt ceiling.

Only in Liberal La-La land do you keep a good credit rating by taking on more debt.  The credit rating was slashed because the United States had no plan to deal with it's debt.  Several credit agencies specifically said that just raising the debt ceiling wasn't going to cut it- a real plan to reduce future deficits had to be put in place.  The single biggest obstacle to that was President Obama.

b) Janesville GM Plant
Fact: While Ryan blamed President Obama for the shut down of a GM plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, the plant was actually closed under President George W. Bush.

You'll hear this a lot, and it's a blatant lie.  While much production had been shut down by the end of 2008, the plant was still open until April of 2009.  More importantly, given Mr. Obama's level of influence, if not control, over GM by that time, it's also worth it to mention that the Janesville Plant was passed over for a new car line before it closed.

Just as important, you'll notice she doesn't quote Mr. Ryan or how he "blamed President Obama for the shut down..."  That' because he didn't.  Here's Mr. Ryan's quote:
A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that G.M. plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said, "I believe that if our government is there to support you, this plant will be here for another 100 years."

That's what he said in 2008. Well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day.

Barack Obama promised that, with government support, that plant would still be there "for another 100 years."  That government support came, the plant is still closed.  Where is the lie?

She also mention's Paul Ryan's support for, and Mitt Romney's opposition to, the auto bail out in 2009.  I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, though.

c) "You didn't build that."
Fact: Though Ryan insisted that President Obama wants to give all the credit for private sector success to government, that isn't what the president said. Period.

Note the flat denial with no attempt to quote either Mr. Ryan or the President.  Here, for Ms. Kohn, are links to my own take on what Mr. Obama said.  Remember, the context made it worse.

d) Medicare Cuts
Fact: Though Paul Ryan accused President Obama of taking $716 billion out of Medicare, the fact is that that amount was savings in Medicare reimbursement rates (which, incidentally, save Medicare recipients out-of-pocket costs, too) and Ryan himself embraced these savings in his budget plan.

This is so divorced from reality that I almost don't where to start.  First off, her own "fact" supports what Ryan said: President Obama is taking $716 billion dollars out of Medicare.  Second, this idea that "savings in Medicare reimbursement rates" will "save Medicare recipient out-of-pocket costs" is absolutely ludicrous.  What will actually happen is that Doctors, in droves, will stop accepting Medicare and Medicare recipients will either not get care, or bear more of the cost up front.  Unless you think Doctors are suddenly going to start working for free.

She also claims that Mr. Ryan "embraced these savings in his budget plan." Absolutely false. Where Obamacare removes $716 billion from Medicare right now, Mr. Ryan's plan simply reduces the rate of growth over 10 years. It also specifically exempts from any reforms anyone age 55 and over.

3) Desperate
This piece was nothing more than a desperate attempt to spin the Ryan speech as something it wasn't for people who didn't hear it live.  It was an attempt to "get ahead of the story," and an attempt to substitute the Liberal version of reality for the Truth.

Ms. Kohn, if this is the best your side has, I suggest you seek shelter.  A storm is coming, and it's name is Romney/Ryan.

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